By Ria Fernandez
BORACAY – Doreen Fugoso had barely landed a job as chef in one of the big hotels here when word got around that President Rodrigo Duterte had ordered the closure of the island for six months.
“I had not reached a year yet in my job when the closure happened. At that time, I thought how was my life going to be?,” Fugoso said, as she recalled her initial reaction last April 26 when the government finally flexed and shut down the island.
PRISTINE – A general view of the beach in Station 3 of Boracay Island taken October 16. The island reopens on October 26 after a 10-day dry-run. The world-famous tourist destination was closed by the government for six months for rehabilitation. (EPA)
But save for that after-thought, it didn’t cross Fugoso’s mind that she would have to pack her bags permanently and forget about the island.
She was going to give Boracay another chance, and wait things out as the government tried to heal the ills of the world-famous tourist destination.
Thus, after applying for the government’s financial assistance, she just went back to General Santos City where she hails, and patiently waited until the call back from her hotel.
“I didn’t look for a job. I really waited for the island to reopen,” she said.
Like Fugoso, many of Boracay’s workers were unperturbed that they may have to go jobless as Boracay was being rehabilitated.
After all, the island, which had been consistently listed as one of the world’s most desirable tourist destinations, offered so much promise that not even a six-month closure could erase. It re-opens partially on October 26.
“People have this connotation that once you have worked in Boracay, you are good. I see it as an advantage, a passport to a better future, say, when I apply abroad or in other places,” Fugoso explained.
Tricycle driver Nonoy Nicolas is also returning even if he knows that he may no longer be able to earn the P1,200-a-day that he got in the eight years that he transported tourists and locals around the island. That’s because part of the rehabilitation efforts would be the immediate phase-out of fossil fuel-powered tricycles.
“I might resort to becoming a porter. What’s important is it’s a clean job,” he said.
More importantly, Nicolas is now more conscious of the reality that for as long as the beauty of Boracay is preserved, so would be his source of livelihood.
“If Boracay would stay beautiful, of course, we would continue to have many tourists. And that would mean a good income,” he said.
Despite being implemented drastically, resort owner Nenette Tirol said they were thankful of the government’s will power to put the island under a half-year rehabilitation.
And after complying with all the environmental requirements, Tirol’s two-decades-old business will be one among the several resorts that will be allowed to open on October 26.
As a matter of fact, they are already fully-booked until May next year.
“All of these things are now a thing of the past. We are looking forward to serving all our guests,” she said.
But Tirol has an appeal to all who will be visiting Boracay starting next week.
“I am hoping and I am praying that everybody who comes here…will be very conscious of environmental cleanling operations is lifted next month, a member of Compliant Association of Boracay (CAB), who requested anonymity, said in an earlier interview with Manila Bulletin that out of more than 300 legitimate business establishments in the island, only 30 have so far been given all the clearances to operate while around 70 are only considered "conditional compliant."
CAB is a recently established association
of businesses here in Boracay. The group includes owners of hotels, resorts, retail shops, and restaurants.
Going back to CCAs, Cimatu said the issuance of the said permit was in line with the President’s directive to afford the public the “ease of doing business” with government.
As of October 8, the DENR has issued CCAs to 159 establishments.
“This is not the time for us to relax and lower our guards,” Cimatu said on the first day of the 11-day dry run for the much-awaited reopening of Boracay later this month.
Cimatu, who heads the inter-agency task force in charge of Boracay’s rehabilitation, cited on Wednesday the ongoing road and drainage improvement projects, which were delayed due to typhoons.
The environment chief said that all projects will continue even after Boracay’s soft opening slated for October 26.
“Rehabilitation will continue after October 26. We are just in Phase 1,” Cimatu pointed out.
Famous for its powdery white sand, pristine blue waters and amazing sunsets, Boracay has been named several times as one of the best beaches in the world.
But on April 26, President Rodrigo Duterte issued Presidential Proclamation No. 475 ordering the closure of Boracay to tourists for six months to pave the way for its rehabilitation from environmental damage caused by overdevelopment.
Since the closure, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources' (DENR) Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) said there has already been a visible improvement in the quality of water surrounding the island, with coliform level now down to 18.1 MPN/100 mL from thousands or even millions.
The standard coliform level is 100 most probable number per 100 milliliters of sample.
Moving forward, EMB will continue to check the quality of water discharged from sewage treatment plants (STPs) on the island, while solid waste disposal will also be looked into in order to make sure Boracay’s garbage are “immediately moved out and not remain on the island for more than 24 hours.”
The DENR will only issue environmental compliance certificate (ECC) to businesses with own STPs or connected to a provider, and those not within forestlands or wetlands.
Cimatu said that tourist arrival of 6,405 persons per day will also be strictly followed, while a total of 1,000 rooms fromness… it’s not all about money, it’s all about taking care of God’s gift to all of us,” she said.
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Sec. Mark Villar said that they are convinced that for the road construction from Cagban port to the main commercial area would be 80 percent done on the island’s reopening.
"We are on track," he said.
“The hard work is on the laying down of pipes, which is finished…the road itself is just the icing… hopefully, the weather continues to be cooperative.
I don’t see any reason we won’t be finished by 80 percent by the 26th,” he added.
Villar said the Phase 1 of the road project worth P500 million will be completely done in December.
After which, they will proceed with the succeeding phases to improve the whole circumferential road in Boracay.